Nikon Coolpix 570 battery thoughts...

I have just returned from a trip to New Zealand, Australia, and West
America (La, Las Vegas & Grand Canyon).

As you can imagine, being in very 'photo rich' environments, I wanted
to take many pictures....

I have a 512 & 128CF cards and a laptop to do a daily transfer - OK so
far... What let me down was battery life - Early afternoon the battery
would decide to fade out on me. (Image set for max size and 'Fine' jpg
setting.)

I was getting between 80 & 120 photographs per charge - (Most days, I
did not have access to mains power to do a quick re-charge)

I did investigate getting a spare battery but could not justify the
relatively high cost just for the trip.

Possible solutions for the future:

A bum bag (English for fanny bag) containing external battery pack
(12v at 1.5Ah) with a voltage regulator - I have built the regulator
(12 in 8.4 out) but did not take it with me. (Kick self twice!) The
regulator and the bigger battery certainly would be about a quarter of
the price of the camera battery and would give approx 250 photographs
per charge (plus the 80 ~ 120 photos from the camera's battery).

Another useful device that I intend to make is a 12vDC to 240vAC
converter (low power - c0.5amp) so that I can run the camera battery
charger from the car.

Any thoughts or comments on 5700 battery life/alternative power
supplies would be appreciated...

Does anyone know if the 8.4 dc input to the camera will also charge
the battery if inserted in the camera? (the answer in not in the
'fine' manual)

(BTW: In two months away, I only took 4500 photos with the one
battery! I wonder how many it would have been with more battery
power?)

--
Donald Gray
Putting ODCOMBE on the Global Village Map!www.odcombe.demon.co.uk
You do not have to email me, but if you wish to...
Please remove the SafetyPin from my email address first
Thanks

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"Donald Gray" <> wrote in message
news:...
[]
> Any thoughts or comments on 5700 battery life/alternative power
> supplies would be appreciated...

Well, my answer was to purchase three extra batteries, although two would
probably have done. They are not that expensive (compared to a UK - NZ -
US flight!), and I got Hahnel brand, together with one of the same brand's
fast chargers. I find that with fairly intensive shooting, the battery
indicates "low" after 30 - 60 minutes, but will actually happily carry on
for another hour or so. If I am out shooting the whole day, I might get
through two batteries. I keep the second battery in the Nikon case for
the 5700. If I then need a battery for the evening, I can use one of the
two spares, whilst recharging one of those used up during the day. Then,
overnight, I can charge the other day battery. Obviously I cycle these
cells round, and just keep charging when I can.

It would be nice to have a higher capacity LiOn battery, but one option if
you don't mind making the camera bigger and heavier is the MB5700 (check
the number) battery pack which takes (I believe) 6 x NiMH cells. So you
could load it with 2100mAH cells, and triple the capacity of the single
LiOn cell.
> Does anyone know if the 8.4 dc input to the camera will also charge
> the battery if inserted in the camera? (the answer in not in the
> 'fine' manual)

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Donald Gray wrote:
> I have just returned from a trip to New Zealand, Australia, and West
> America (La, Las Vegas & Grand Canyon).
>
> As you can imagine, being in very 'photo rich' environments, I wanted
> to take many pictures....
>
> I have a 512 & 128CF cards and a laptop to do a daily transfer - OK so
> far... What let me down was battery life - Early afternoon the battery
> would decide to fade out on me. (Image set for max size and 'Fine' jpg
> setting.)
>
> I was getting between 80 & 120 photographs per charge - (Most days, I
> did not have access to mains power to do a quick re-charge)
>
> I did investigate getting a spare battery but could not justify the
> relatively high cost just for the trip.
>
> Possible solutions for the future:
(snip)
Look at this, from another thread:
> FWIW:
> I have just returned from a series of long haul flights round the
> world, mainly on Air New Zealand.
> London --> LA,
> LA -->Auckland
> Auckland --> Sydney
> Sydney --> Perth (Quantas)
> Perth --> Sydney
> Sydney --> Aukland --> LA
> LA --> Las Vegas (America West [US domestic])
> Las Vegas --> LA
> LA --> London
>

Same Donald Gray, right?

Relatively high cost is relative, indeed. I can't conceive if a
judgement that decided $12.00 for an extra battery (or even $36.00 at
the Nikon price) was the value of priceless pictures lost, particularly
in view of the scale of "long haul flights" you mention.

I can't imagine what this Donald Gray is asking for, when he posts these
two in the same forum.

Here's my guess:

You are an idiot: a few bucks and you get to decide if your pictures are
worth the few bucks; otherwise, no chance; it would take more than one
extra battery; look into the 6-AA grip for the CP5700 (owners rave about
it).

On Mon, 10 May 2004 21:53:55 GMT, "David J Taylor"
<-this-bit> wrote:
>"Donald Gray" <> wrote in message
>news:...
>[]
>> Any thoughts or comments on 5700 battery life/alternative power
>> supplies would be appreciated...
>
>Well, my answer was to purchase three extra batteries, although two would
>probably have done. They are not that expensive (compared to a UK - NZ -
>US flight!), and I got Hahnel brand, together with one of the same brand's
>fast chargers. I find that with fairly intensive shooting, the battery
>indicates "low" after 30 - 60 minutes, but will actually happily carry on
>for another hour or so. If I am out shooting the whole day, I might get
>through two batteries. I keep the second battery in the Nikon case for
>the 5700. If I then need a battery for the evening, I can use one of the
>two spares, whilst recharging one of those used up during the day. Then,
>overnight, I can charge the other day battery. Obviously I cycle these
>cells round, and just keep charging when I can.
>
>It would be nice to have a higher capacity LiOn battery, but one option if
>you don't mind making the camera bigger and heavier is the MB5700 (check
>the number) battery pack which takes (I believe) 6 x NiMH cells. So you
>could load it with 2100mAH cells, and triple the capacity of the single
>LiOn cell.
>
>> Does anyone know if the 8.4 dc input to the camera will also charge
>> the battery if inserted in the camera? (the answer in not in the
>> 'fine' manual)
>
>Almost certainly not, as the charger requires special circuitry.
>
>Cheers,
>David
>

That battery pack, which also uses plain old AA batteries, also makes the camera
much easier to hold. With the battery pack I have *never* accidentally changed
settings by hitting the buttons on the side of the camera!

"John H" <jherring$$@$$cox**.net> wrote in message
news:...
[]
> That battery pack, which also uses plain old AA batteries, also makes
the camera
> much easier to hold. With the battery pack I have *never* accidentally
changed
> settings by hitting the buttons on the side of the camera!
>
> John H

Yes, many people say this, but I am on a strict minimum weight and size
regime, so for me a couple of extra batteries (which could be carried
anywhere) are the way to go.

yes
>Relatively high cost is relative, indeed. I can't conceive if a
>judgement that decided $12.00 for an extra battery (or even $36.00 at
>the Nikon price) was the value of priceless pictures lost, particularly
>in view of the scale of "long haul flights" you mention.
>
>I can't imagine what this Donald Gray is asking for, when he posts these
>two in the same forum.
>
>
>Here's my guess:
>
>You are an idiot: a few bucks and you get to decide if your pictures are
>worth the few bucks; otherwise, no chance; it would take more than one
>extra battery; look into the 6-AA grip for the CP5700 (owners rave about
>it).

Frank - you are too ready to slag someone off - Stop for a moment, put
your brain into gear before opening your oversize mouth. You appear to
be the idiot, not me.

Frank, I don't have to justify myself to you (or any one else for that
matter!) especially in an open forum.

Firstly - The trip was arranged at short notice, trying to deal with a
major legal problem in NZ. We combined the trip with a well deserved
holiday for my wife. It was organised on a very strict and limited
budget. When on a pension, EVERY PENNY COUNTS! When funds are limited,
I had the choice of buying a battery for me OR buying my wife
something. I thought of my wife not me.

Secondly - the battery WAS expensive when I found a place in Sydney
(after trying many other places with not luck) who had a generic Nikon
battery for $150 Australian - I could not justify that rip off cost on
top of all the others.
>Wow! A real World-Traveller. I am in awe!
>
>Yeah, that's the ticket.
>

Sarcasm will only get you a poor reputation. Looking back at some of
you postings, I not that your sarcasm is not just restricted to me. I
hope you are proud of your contributions Frank.

KerrrrrrPlonk!
--
Donald Gray
Putting ODCOMBE on the Global Village Map!www.odcombe.demon.co.uk
You do not have to email me, but if you wish to...
Please remove the SafetyPin from my email address first
Thanks

<snip hyperventilation and protest-too-much whinge>
>> Yeah, that's the ticket.
>>
>
> Sarcasm will only get you a poor reputation. Looking back at some of
> you postings, I not that your sarcasm is not just restricted to me. I
> hope you are proud of your contributions Frank.
>
> KerrrrrrPlonk!

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